5-16-00 -- Late Night with David Letterman, Ed Sullivan Theatre, New York, NY

Date: Wed, 17 May 2000 10:42:05 -0400
From: Andre Hsu AHsu@activeinternational.com
To: "'dws@gadiel.com'" dws@gadiel.com
Subject: Late Show With David Letterman Review 5/16/00

        My brother won Letterman tickets through his job a few weeks ago
and by chance they were for the 16th of May when Phish would be on
promoting their new album. How psyched was I?  Since I don't have a Radio
City ticket for this weekend (yet) I figured this could be the only chance
to THE band in NYC this week.
         Since you have to pick up your tickets 2 hours before taping and
they don't want you loitering in front of the Ed Sullivan Theatre, we
walked around the block to where a bunch phans were waiting to see the
band arrive, and sure enough within 10 minutes a silver van with tinted
windows pulled up, and Phish emerged to a short applause. Me and my
brother also met two local favorites of the Late Show, Mugibur from the
touristy store and Rupert Jee from the Hello Deli, who was on the later on
the show with Tony Randell.

         In the theatre, the show was funny, David Hyde Pierce from
Frasier was on telling jokes and stories. After his segment they started
setting up Phish's equipment, it was fun to see them roll out Page's piano
and Fish's drum kit. As the band took their positions Mike stared in
jamming with Paul Shcaffer and the CBS Orchestra, then Trey joined in
playing some leads, it was cool to see Sid McGuinnes, long time Letterman
guitar player, with a grin on his face as Trey was jamming to his rythyms.  
When they came back from the break, Dave noted, and you can hear him say
it on the air before he introduces Phish, that they have a lot of rock and
roll bands on the show, but you can tell the really GREAT ones when they
start playing with the (house) band during the break.  As you may have
seen by watching the show the band played "Heavy Things," a very short,
but solid version. I must say this song is growing on me.
        After the show, there were more phans waiting for the band than
before the show. Phish came out not too long after the show and threw a
bunch of Late Show hats and t-shirts to the phans, then took off in the
siver van, while some phans were chasing it down and trying to talk to the
band at the stoplight. I thing one dude may have got an autograph because
he ran away from the van cheering.
        Overall it was a short, but fun Phish experience that has only wet
my appetite for wanting to see the band at Radio City this weekend, anyone
have an extra?


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